The hanging of Ajmal Kasab is feared to adversely impact the chances of mercy to Sarabjeet Singh, an Indian national on death row in Pakistan. Several human rights activists who have been actively attempting to ensure Sarabjeet Singh's release too did not deny that Kasab's hanging could have repercussions on his fate.

Sarabjeet was sentenced to death for alleged involvement in four bomb attacks in 1990 in Multan killing 14 people. In 2008, Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf had stayed Singh's execution following the intervention of the human rights activists and appeals by his sister Dalbir Kaur. His fresh plea for mercy is pending before the president of Pakistan.

The sources in Pakistan said that a repercussion of Kasab's execution could not be ruled out on Sarabjeet Singh. "India would have executed Ajmal following proper judicial process. But, we learnt that the President of India jumped the queue in rejecting the mercy petition filed by Ajmal Kasab," stated a highly placed source in Pakistan government. "The repercussion (on Sarabjeet's pending mercy petition) cannot be denied," he added.

Sarabjeet's lawyer in Pakistan, Awais Sheikh, in a communication to Mail Today expressed optimism that Kasab's hanging would not have any impact on the chances of the Indian's release. "Sarabjeet's case is that of a mistaken identity. FIR does not carry his name," he said.

He added that Sarabjeet suffered "gross miscarriage of justice" and he was a victim of politics. Ajmal Kasab was caught on camera and sufficient evidence for action against him was available on record. "I, being a humanist, do not endorse death penalty," he added. He said that Sarabjeet's latest mercy petition filed last week would result into commutation of his death sentence to life, he hoped.

Sarabjeet's sister Dalbir Kaur who spearheaded a move for the release of her brother from the Pakistani prison was apprehensive. "I will not speak on this issue," she said while responding to a question if she feared any fallout on her efforts to save Sarabjeet after Kasab's execution. She however denied that he was a spy and insisted that he accidentally strayed into Pakistan.

"My brother Sarabjit Singh is an ordinary farmer who mistakenly crossed the border while he was drunk. He could never do the things for which the cases were filed against him," she added.

Pakistan's former federal minister for human rights Ansar Burney - who was instrumental in getting Sarabjeet's death sentence suspended - stated that he was against the death penalty to any convict. It could not be predicted if Sarabjeet's prospects for mercy and subsequent release would suffer due to Kasab's execution. "As advocates of humanity and international brotherhood, we will continue our efforts to save Sarabjeet Singh," Burney said.

The sources in Pakistan said that various hardliner groups already seeking Sarabjeet's execution had started demanding the government to reject Sarabjeet's mercy plea. They started demanding Sarabjeet's execution on the pretext that he was charged and handed over sentence for first degree terrorism. He had killed innocent Pakistan nationals and he was an enemy of humanity. The Indian government and media had been seeking mercy for a person who was convicted following proper judicial process in Pakistan, believed the hardliners in Pakistan.